Ptichy Island (Russian: Остров Птичий, Ostrov Ptichy, meaning Bird Island) is a small island in the Sea of Okhotsk.
 The Shantar Islands in the Sea of Okhotsk | |
  Ptichy Island (Russia) | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sea of Okhotsk |
| Coordinates | 54°35′59″N 137°04′47″E / 54.59972°N 137.07972°E |
| Archipelago | Shantar Islands |
| Length | 1.6 km (0.99 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 290 m (950 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Federal Subject | Khabarovsk Krai |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
Geography
Ptichy Island is one of the Shantar Islands. It lies between the southwest point of Bolshoy Shantar and Cape Bol'shoy Dugandzha on the mainland. It is a little over 1.6 km (1 mi) in length and rises to a height of 290 m (951 ft).[1]
History
Between 1857 and 1889, American whaleships cruised for bowhead whales off Ptichiy.[2] They called it Big Stinker[3] or just Stinker Island, "on account of the dead whales drifting along there from the ice".[4] Along with Utichy, it was considered one of the Stinker Islands.[5][6][7] Ships also anchored under it during strong winds[8] and boat crews spent the night on the island after cruising for whales all day.[9]
Fauna
In the summer there is a large colony of spectacled guillemots on the island, as well as a smaller nesting colony of thick-billed murres.[10]